Randstad Canada News Room

According to a poll of 500 female executives conducted by Ipsos Reid and comissioned on behalf of Randstad Canada, the country’s Canadian leader for staffing, recruitment and HR Services, the Canadian industries with the best opportunities for female executives remain within the “traditional” fields.

According to the survey results, over half of female managers and executives polled believe that the healthcare and education sectors provide the best opportunities for women to move into managerial/executive positions in the next three to five years. Six in 10 (58%) think the healthcare sector provided the most room for growth, topping the list, while slightly over half (52%) forsee the education sector providing the best opportunities.

Other fields that were mentioned as providing ample room for advancement were the not-for-profit sector (35%), financial services (32%), hospitality (29%), professional services (23%), the public sector (22%), information technology (11%), engineering and construction (6%), oil and gas (3%), and transportation and logistics (2%). Rounding out the list as the industry least likely to provide advancement opportunities was the manufacturing sector (1%).

Molly Huber, Vice President, Western Region, Randstad Technologies, says she is not surprised by the list of industries that present the greatest opportunities for women to advance into the executive ranks over the next three to five years. “Women have traditionally led in fields like education but their dominance in fields such as business, finance and professional services comes as no surprise. Even in fields they do not currently dominate, it is undeniable that women are making significant strides in what are typically considered male-driven job markets,” she adds.

But Huber says many organizations, from all industries, still need to work harder to improve gender diversity at the executive level. “Companies need to do more to advance female talent by providing leadership training, mentoring and coaching, and creating opportunities for women with leadership potential to progress from more junior roles,” she says.

“The remarkable female speakers who attended our Women in leadership luncheon, like Dr. Wendy Cukier, Vice President Research and Innovation and Tova White, Vice President, Human Resources, Coca Cola Canada, prove it is possible for women to not just to be a part of the workforce, but to lead it as well,” says Huber. “Some of these women have paved the way for other women to aspire to top-tier positions in the workforce.”

Women are having a seismic impact on our economy, creating jobs and driving innovation, says Huber. “It’s important for women to mentor and share ideas with each other, and also offer insight into overcoming business challenges; this is the recipe for success.”